Switch or receptacle box



W. I. NEWTON. SWITCH 0R RECEPTACLE Box. APPLICATION FILED MAR, 9, i9I6.

@13 SHOM/M213 l' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I. NEWTON, or LYNBItoox, NEW Yonx, AsIoNoa, BY MESNE AssIeN-l MENTS, 'ro JOHN G. LIVINGSTON, or WoomIEIIE, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK.

SWITCH OR RECEPTACLE BOX.

Application med laren a',

the means for securlng said boxes in position.

Oneof the most frequently experienced difficulties in the installation of electric wiring in buildings is due 'to the fact that the' outletboxes which are usually installed rior to the application of plaster, baseboar s, or other wall coverin are inaccurately set with respect to the ace of the finished wall. As a result, the portion of the outlet box to which the switch or receptacle box -is to be attached is so located relativel to the iinished surface thatit is impossib e, by the use of the ordinary attaching means alone, to rmly secure the switch or receptacle box thereto in such position that the top of the latter will be flush with the finished wall surface.

Switch boxes and receptacle boxes as generally constructed are provided with a pair of stationary lugs iush with the top thereof. Set screws are passed through holes in these lugs into threaded holes in the outlet box cover to retain the switch or receptacle box in position within the outlet box cover. Obviously, if the top of the outlet box cover lies below the wall surface, the switch or receptacle box 'cannotbe firmly held in position flush with the wall surface b the set screws, unless washers or th'e tubu ar spacing members be mounted on the set screws between the lugs and the outlet 'box cover. It has accordingl been common practice, in the art, to emp oy such washers or tubular spacing members, with the result that the time consumed in properly positioning the switch or receptacle boxes has been exs.V

cessive, and the results have, at best, been inaccurate. In order to avoid the extra-.ex pense of time and material involved inf-the;`

use of these spacing members, wiremen?.

' sometimes simply vomit them and rely solely upon the face plate for retainingrthe switch or receptacle box inY position. This careless Speoincation of Letters Patent."

l Patented Aug.` 2, 1921. 191e. Aserial N0. 83,086.

method of supporting the switch boxes is, of course, very unsatisfactory, since the vibratlon of the buildings will often dislodge a switch times to such an extent as to disconnect the contacts from the binding posts.v

In carrylng out my invention I provide means whereby the switch or receptacle boxes may be in proper position in much less tlme than has been required heretofore, and without accurately and firmly ,secured or receptacle so supported, somethe aid of any spacing or similar members,

irrespective of the position of the outlet box over with relation to the finished wall surace.

I make provision also for a slight angular adyustment of the switch or receptacle box with respect to the'outlet box,v so that the swltch or receptacle box ma even though the outlet box is ti ted slightly.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a switch orre'ceptacle box constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a switch box, such as that illustrated in Fig. 1, together with its attaching and positioning means.

Fig. 3 is a top View of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fi 2, but showing a modified form of attac ing and su orting means.

ig. 5 is a detailed sectional view of one of the supporting lugs shown in Fig. 4, and Fi 6 is a plan view thereof.

ebox or container 10 shown in Fig. 1, maybe of any desired form, depending upon the use to which it is to be put, and may be made of any suitable materia-l, such as porcela-in or other insulating material. In the 'end walls of box 10, there are provided one or more longitudinally extending slots or recesses 11. These recesses do not extend to the full depth of the box, 'but terminate in abutments 12 having apertures 13. Abutments 12 may be iiush with the ends of the box, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or may be of any desired form, provided they are either `integral with box 10 or firmly secured thereto.,

.In the. embodiment of my invention, shown in Fi 2, the bridge plate 14 of the switch vexten s over recesses 11, and is fastened-'pto box 10 by means of screws 15, or any other suitable means. In each portion or ear of bridge plate 14, which extends be straight over recess 11, there is provided an aperture 16 adapted to hold one end of the adjusting screw 17, the other end of which is held in the aperture 13 of abutment 12. In order that it may not be necessary to make a hole of accurate size in. abutment 12, and in order to reinforce the abutments, I may apply metallic washers at the opposite ends of the abutment. As shown herein, the washers take the form of a U-shaped metallic piece 18, surrounding the abutment and having two apertures, through which the adjusting-screw passes. lIn this embodil ment of my invention the adjusting screws are 'provided at the top and at the bottom with shoulders which contact respectively with the underside of bridge plate 14, and the upper washer of the member 18, so that the adjusting screws are held firmly against longitudinal movement with respect to the switch box, but at the same time are permitted to turn.

Mounted upon the adjusting screw 17 and in threaded engagement therewith are lugs 19, the inner ends of which are shaped to conform to the shape of the longitudinal recesses 11. The outer ends of lugs 19 are provided with slots through which attaching screws 20 may be passed for the urpose of fastening the lugs to the outlet ox, or other support 21. The slots in the outer ends of the lug 19 permit the switch box to be turned slightly to bring the face plate into the desired position.

In the modiied embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 4, the bridge plate 14 terminates inside of longitudinal recesses 11. These recesses -terminate in abutments 12, as in the modification of Fig. 2 and metallic washers or U shaped pieces 18a are also provided. The U shaped pieces 18a of Fig. 4 differ from the U shaped pieces 18 of Fig. 2, in that instead of being provided with plain apertures, their apertures are threaded to take the adjusting screw 17a. Lugs 19a of Fig. 4 have inner ends conforming to the shape of the longitudinal recesses of 11 and are mounted upon adjusting screws 17, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, whereinit is shown that lugs 19a have a large aperture 22 permitting the head of adjusting screw 17EL to pass therethrough, and a smaller aperture 23 which communicates with aperture 22, so that the reduced portion of screw 17a may be passed into aperture 2.3l when adjusting screw 17a has been backed off suiciently to permit lug 19EL to clear the top of switch box 10. When the screw 17 a is then advanced so that the lug is guided in the recess 11, the walls of the recess prevent the disengagement of the small aperture 23 from the reduced portion of the screw 17a, and the lug is thus held. against longitudinal movement with respect to the screw.

The operation of either modification of my invention is generally as follows:

The outlet box 2l is placed in position. The switch box is then attached to the outlet box by means of screws 20, and its proper angular position adjusted by means of the slots inthe outer ends of lugs 19 and 19a. If line P. L. of Figs. 2 and 4 is the plaster line or line of the finished wall, the adjusting screws -17 or 17' are then turned by means of a screw driver until the oute-r surface of the bridge plate 14 is brought flush with the plaster line. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 the turning of screws 17 causes the lugs 20 to move along the screw 17, and the screw 17 being iixed'against lon gitudinal motion, the switch box 10 is thus moved in or out as desired. In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the turning of the adjusting screw 175 causes the adjusting screw to be screwed into the member 18a, and the lug 19a being prevented from lon'- gitudinal movement upon adjusting screw 17a, the switch box is moved in or out as desired.

I do not intend to confine myself Ito any particular form of my invention since it will be obvious that it may be greatly modified without departing from its spirit. Thus the form of the lugs or the mechanism for adjusting the same may be greatly changed. Also the longitudinal recesses may be ,greatly modified since they constitute guiding and holding means only for the lugs, and need, therefore, be vof no particular shape; infact they may take any suitable form which will properly perform the guidin and holding function.

hat I claim is:

A device of the kind described comprising a box provided with a longitudinal recess, a lug slidably mounted within the recess, a bridge member secured to the top of said box and provided with an apertured ear overlying one end of said recess, an a ertured abutment overlying the other en of said recess, and a screw rotatably mounted in the recess in the threaded engagement with the lug foradjusting the lug longitudinally of the recess, said screw being provided with unthreaded ends mounted in the apertures ofthe ear and the abutment, and with shoulders coperating with said ear andabutment to retain said screw against longitudinal movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

WILLIAM J. NEWTON. 

